Bob Smietana

Bob Smietana is an award-winning religion reporter and editor who has spent two decades producing breaking news, data journalism, investigative reporting, profiles and features for magazines, newspapers, trade publications and websites. Most notably, he has served as a senior writer for Facts & Trends, senior editor of Christianity Today, religion writer at The Tennessean, correspondent for RNS and contributor to OnFaith, USA Today and The Washington Post.

As Willow Creek Turns 50, the Onetime ‘Church of the Future’ Redefines Success

In the mid-1970s, a small group started a church in a movie theater and named it Willow Creek. American religion hasn’t been the same since.

From Fisk Jubilee Singers to Megachurch Hits, New Museum Celebrates Christian Music

The museum, devoted to the history of Christian music, opened last week. Organizers say it’s a sign Christian music is experiencing a revival.

Southern Baptist Convention Breaks With the Evangelical Immigration Table

The Southern Baptist Convention will go its own way on immigration policy, breaking ties with a coalition of other evangelical bodies focused on the issue.

Palestinian Christians at Chicago Conference Ask Fellow Believers To Stand Against Gaza War

The Church at the Crossroads conference is aimed at moving U.S. Christians from feeling bad about the war in Gaza to taking action to end it.

Trump Task Force Report Says Biden Administration Discriminated Against Christians

Scott Hicks, provost of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, told the task force that his school, along with Grand Canyon University, a Christian college in Phoenix, was targeted by the Biden administration.

From Addiction to the Finish Line: Shelter Residents Take on Half-Marathon

Among those coaching the new runners is a former convict turned runner who recently finished the Boston Marathon.

How Johnnie Moore, Evangelical PR Guru, Became the Face of Gaza’s Embattled Aid Effort

“I’m a Christian,” Moore, 42, told Religion News Service in an email. “There’s nothing more Christian than feeding people. How could I say no?”

Ryan Burge Joins the Danforth Center at Washington University

Ryan Burge, who for years juggled roles as a Baptist pastor, political scientist and go-to source on America’s changing religious landscape, has a new gig.

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